conworldfandomcom-20200222-history
Alem
Alem, alternatively Osmir-Alem, and formally the Osmirwok Kingdom of the Alem River, is a coastal Kingdom situated at the mouth of the river Alem (known further upriver as the Karfi). With its key trading location at the river mouth, Alem is a wealthy and prosperous nation. The majority of its population live along the fertile river valley, with about 10% living elsewhere, primarily in fishing villages along the ocean coast, and in nomadic desert tribes. Alem maintains uneasy links with its Southern neighbour Hada, and have had many recent conflicts. The majority of the population speak Osmir, spoken by the Osmirwok and Anatu ethnic groups. The Anatu are those whose ancestors lived in Anabaya, and have bad relations with the dominant Osmirwok. Despite ethnic conflict, Alem maintains a strong economy, and a rich history. It is ruled by King Okaranya. The majority of Alemwok (Alemese people) live as farmers, although the large merchant and trader class bring in great wealth to the nation. Alemwok base their years on the years since the great flood 441 years ago, which caused devastation to the empires along the river, leading to a period of 60 years of anarchy and war. This dating system has become widespread along the low Alem river. Name The term Alem, in reference to the river, is used widely throughout much of the lower half of the river. The word is Persa in origin, coming from Proto-Persa-Mila "Almat" meaning 'to pass by' or 'to go near'. It is related to the Osmir word "Lamet" meaning 'neighbour'. People from Alem are called Alemwok, meaning 'Alem Man'. In reference to women specifically 'Alemnayi' is used, and for girls/children 'Alemnir' is used. History Prehistory (20,000BF to 1,000BF) Humans first entered the lower Alem valley around 20,000 years ago, as groups of hunter-gatherers in small tribes. About 4,100 years ago, wheat began to be farmed around lake Bauran, at the source of the river Alem. By 3,500 years ago, Proto-Bauranic speakers had arrived in modern-day Alem, bringing their, culture and agriculture with them. Many Osmir words to this day descend from this language, though the bulk of the language comes from the unrelated Tabram language family. Agricultural kingdoms began to emerge in the area around 1,500 years ago (~1100BF). Oral traditions recorded by the scholar Akwuro in 44AF tell of the kingdom of Haja, which ruled much of the lower Alem river. Early Kingdoms (1,000BF to 0AF) The mighty Ifuru Empire expanded into Alem around 700BF, and controlled much of it until around 500BF. After the collapse of the isolationist Ifuru, trade and idea-exchange became more prominent. Karfic writing came into use about 450BF, allowing more detailed information to be found about the nation's history. However very little writing survives before about 60AF, and much of the knowledge about the period comes from oral histories recorded during the conflict era. Powerful Osmir-Anatu kingdoms existed between the 4th century and the 2nd century BF, notably the Etimeko kingdom. Around 200BF the Ajandif arrived from the South, into Alem's Eastern desert. Pre-conflict Alem was strongly patriarchal, religious and agricultural. Small villages of two or three families were the standard. Ancestor worship and family shrines were widespread at this time. The period of around 350BF to 100BF is considered to be the classical period, in which maritime trade, philosophical works, and a powerful military allowed the kingdoms of the region to gain significant influence over surrounding areas. By 100BF the economies of the lower Alem river began to slow, with many kingdoms and empires dividing into small city-states. Conflict Era (0AF to 70AF) In 0AF, a great flood destroyed many of the lowland villages and crops throughout the lower Alem river, bringing on a period of famine. This famine led to conflict throughout the already weakened region. By 20AF Alem was reduced to at least 60 warring groups. Widespread looting and destruction has resulted in very little information surviving from before this period. In the year 8AF, the philosopher and author Akuzirim, was born. He wrote heavily of the causes of the flood and subsequent collapse into chaos. He looked back to what he considered the 'golden age' of Osmir-Anatu history. The culture of Alem and several neighbouring regions is based heavily on Akuzirim's teachings. Anatu Kingdom (54AF to 273AF) Osmirwok Rule and Modern Alem (273AF to present) Geography Government Economy The vast majority of the population live as subsistence farmers, often in village collectives. The Northern province of Uduma has significant slate-mining industry. In the year 402, as Alem expanded into the desert, all mines in the nation were declared government-property. Copper and slate mining provide a significant income to the government. Trade At the mouth of the Alem river, a lot of cargo travels through the country. Horses, salt, and exotic spices pass through from the North. Lead and grain arrives from the West, and precious metals and slaves come down the river from the South. Most of these simply pass through the nation, but Alem imports and exports a lot itself as well. Copper tools and boats are widely produced and exported in Alem. Taxation All boats passing through the country must have imperial registration. Products passing through the nation have their produce varyingly taxed at 2% to 6% (depending on produce and origin-nation). For a period of 4 months, produce from Hada was completely banned from passing through. However, military pressure from Hada forced this to end, and Hada ships are now taxed at a flat 2% rate. Demographics Cities and Provinces Alem has 14 provinces and 9 imperial territories. Provinces are named after their capital cities. Imperial territory naming varies. Imperial territories are administered by their neighbouring province. Ethnicity and Language Osmirwok (Osmir people) make up the majority of the population, at 74%. The closely-related Anatu group make up a further 9%. These two groups both speak the Osmir language, but their cultures have diverged, with the Anatu being descendants of the Kingdom of Anabaya. 14% are Ndinawi, and 3% are other ethnicities. These other ethnicities are split between native desert dwellers, and immigrant merchants. Script About 10% of the population is literate to some degree. Of those, about 90% speak the North Alem alphabet, which is increasingly replacing minority scripts. Practically everyone literate in Alem uses a script descended from the Edemede script, however a small group of about 100 Persa migrants use the Ijru script. The Edemede script is alphabetic, however incorporates some Ijru characters in simple words, or to alter words. Ijru is logographic. An example of Ijru incorporation in Edemede is the word for "female horse". The word is pronounced Inyinay, ''and a male horse is ''Nkita. However, Inyinay would be written "NkitaX", where X represents the Ijru symbol for 'female'. The earliest texts in Alem are temple documents dating to 200BF (before flood), however writing is known to have arrived in the region around 450BF (~900 years ago). Most writing was done on animal skins. Very few records survive from before the flood, which destroyed many river-side settlements and buildings. Most of the surviving records are religious writing on temple walls. Shortly before the flood, Edemede scripts gained popularity among scholars, and by 150AF (after flood) they had almost completely displaced Ijru scripts as the standard for commercial and religious practices. Culture Clothing Clothing in Alem is diverse and takes from many other regions, due to the high level of trade and interaction along the river. In the Southern regions, with significant Anatu populations, blue robes are common among the wealthy, with silver neck-bands being common among women. Hats are generally looked down upon among Osmirwok and Anatu peoples, being associated with the desert tribes of the East. However, headscarves are still worn among some Osmirwok people in the North. Religion The vast majority of inhabitants follow Mkercha religions, mainly the Nebidnu variety, followed by the Osmir, Anatu and Ndinawi groups. Various tribal Mkercha traditions are followed in the East, with Olaka faith making up much of the Southern desert, along with significant city minorities. Alem has no official religion, and generally people of different religions get along well, however the rich and powerful are almost exclusively Nebidnu. A small minority follow non-Mkercha religions, primarily Udara, among immigrants from the North. Folk Tales See Folk Tales of Alem Women Women have had varying roles in Alem history, and among different groups. Under Esinayi (Queen) Nisor, women gained many powers, and even had significant influence in courts and politics. The modern role of women is more conservative, particularly in the North. Although there are few actual legal limitations on women, cultural pressures generally confine women to the home. In the North, women are often expected to cover their hair in public, and in the South, Anatu women often wear neck rings as a symbol of beauty. In the Eastern deserts, where illegal goods transports are common to avoid the government's taxations, women often hold significant financial power. Cuisine Evening meals (Agbedi) are usually eaten with the extended family of a village all together, often 20 to 40 people. During festivals, entire villages will eat together. Food is eaten from bowls, or slate sheets. Families will gather together on the floor. Food is served by the members of the host house, or by their servants. Agbedi is generally made up of three courses: Nribem, Agai and Afi. Nribem is made up of Nri, a wide ovular flat bread and a staple food in Alem. Nri is often eaten with a spiced warm milk sauce called Piputa. The bread is usually shared between three to five people. The next course, Agai, is a soup, made of mixed vegetables, particularly cabbage and onion. Afi is a varying main course, and the term also refers to other meals as well as Agbedi.